Existential Despair
A Guide to Sad Books
Coming Jan 19, 2027 | PREORDER:
A provocative and transformative tour through literature as an insight into despair and how to understand it, and why the practice of reading is needed more than ever—based on the wildly popular UPenn course Existential Despair.
Imagine a class that meets for eight hours once a week. There are no devices, just one book to read in silence and discuss with the group at the end. No prep. No papers. No final exams. Just read a book and think about it.
That’s exactly what University of Pennsylvania professor Justin McDaniel—former Buddhist monk and Guggenheim Fellow—asks of his students in Existential Despair, which perhaps ironically became the most popular course on campus. Drawing on this celebrated class, McDaniel now guides readers through sixteen weeks of radical reading designed to unsettle, transform, and restore.
With bracing candor and erudite analysis, Existential Despair introduces readers to modern classics of literature by James Baldwin, Carmen Maria Machado, Yukio Mishima, Ottessa Moshfegh, Paul Bowles, and others, exploring universal themes including childhood, longing, sex, loneliness, and death. Each chapter models McDaniel’s unconventional approach: reading entire novels in one sitting, grappling with discomfort, and practicing deep concentration free of distraction. This book is not a self-help manual, nor a path to quick fixes. Instead, it offers readers an opportunity to experience what hundreds of students already have: literature as a way to wrestle with grief, meaning, and survival.
As McDaniel writes, “This is not about hope or triumph—it’s about learning to live alongside despair.”
Existential Despair is an immersive reading experience that cultivates rigorous intellectual and personal engagement, a crash course in living with focus, intention, and presence of mind.
Student Testimonials from the UPenn course Existential Despair
“…The complex ideas we faced in each novel had me reflecting on my actions, intentions, and morals in a subtle yet effective way…Tuesdays from 4-midnight became a highlight of my week and set the theme for what quality of existence I would reflect on for that week.”
“This has been the best class I have ever taken at Penn (this was my 7th semester). Every week I looked forward to this 8h break from technology and everything else where I would be 100% focused and dedicated to this class. I strongly recommend anyone who has the opportunity to take Existential Despair to do so.”
“I not only learned about great novelists and great novels, but also about what it is to process grief and meander through the intricacies of life without being numb to life.”
"This was one of the best courses I have ever taken –– Professor McDaniel is phenomenal, and the experience of reading, being focused, making connections with other peers, and discussing larger ideas about life over the course of 7 hours is unparalleled.
"I don't think I will ever have another learning experience that even rivals this one. Professor McDaniel is exceptional. He shares so much of himself with us, and he creates a safe space for his students to fully express themselves. I appreciated every book we read. I will recommend this course to every person I talk to. The books will make rounds with family and friends. I wish it didn't end."